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Local Newspaper Week: how the Oxford Mail makes a difference

'THANK you for your incredible support'... 'This funding will enable us to purchase exciting new resources'.... 'The Oxford Mail is a very important vehicle for us'.

This is just a tiny handful of some of the extremely kind words which have been said about the Oxford Mail in recent years.

If this seems boastful – it is, and we are not going to shy away from a bit of boasting.

As a local newspaper, our most basic job every single day is to try to make a difference in our community, and the more we can prove we do that, the more trust we can build, and the better we can do our job.

That is exactly the point of Local Newspaper Week, which we have been marking every day since Monday.

Of course, some of the most obvious public services we provide are reporting on the bread and butter of local news: making criminal and court cases public; holding councils to account for spending your money, and finding our what our Members of Parliament are actually doing for us.

But over the years, the Oxford Mail has had the absolute privilege and pleasure to be able to go above and beyond in helping the dazzling work of some of our most treasured local institutions.

Anyone who has ever had occasion to visit this Oxford institution will know that the work it does is life-changing.

Plenty of towns and cities simply don't have anything like such a place for families to go to when they receive the worst possible news.

That's why in 2016, as Sobell was celebrating its 40th anniversary, we launched a campaign to help Sobell raise thousands of pounds.

Besides that, we always try to celebrate its good work when we get the opportunity - and that is frequently.

But don't take our word for it: we asked Sobell's head of fundraising Dominique Cadiou for a few words on the subject of Local Newspaper Week, and this is what she said: "As our local paper, the Oxford Mail is a very important vehicle for us through which we can share the amazing and generous ways in which the people of Oxfordshire get involved with what we do and support us.

"We are very grateful for the positive coverage that we receive and for the opportunity to communicate new initiatives and campaigns that will directly impact on the people we serve.

"We also appreciate the way editorial published about Sobell House in the Oxford Mail is always written in a way that shows respect for patients and families and is mindful of the sensitive nature of our work."

For another example, take the OX5 run: we have now been helping to organise this beloved sponsored sprint – these days held at Blenheim Palace – for 15 years.

In that time, the thousands of runners who have taken part have raised nigh-on a million pounds for Oxford Children's Hospital.

Hospital communications officer Joe Baker told us this week: "The support from the Oxford Mail for the Oxford Children’s Hospital has been amazing.

"Stories in the Mail and its sister publications are a great way for us to highlight our fundraisers who are taking part in the OX5 to raise money for the hospital and of course helping raise awareness for Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity, so we are incredibly grateful for all the coverage we get.

"During Local Newspaper Week we would like to thank the Oxford Mail for all that they do for the hospital charity and for helping us make a real and lasting difference to both patients and staff across our hospitals."

Just this weekend we had brilliant fun covering the annual Town and Gown in Oxford - another fantastic sponsored run.

Over its 37 years, it has raised millions for research into muscular dystrophy, and we like to think that we have played some small part in this success.

Thankfully, we are not the only ones.

Race manager Jessie Keighley said this week: “Our annual Oxford Town and Gown 10k relies on the support of the city and its people, and the Mail is instrumental in helping us stay at the heart of the community.

"The paper has effectively told the stories of countless people living with muscle-wasting conditions, helping to sign up hundreds of runners and ensuring the support of our crucial fundraisers and volunteers.

"The money raised is vital to help fund care, support and research and we are hugely grateful to the trusted team for going above and beyond to make that happen.”

All of this is not even to mention the Gannett Foundation awards funded by the Mail's parent company which allow us to give thousands to local good causes every year.

To make the point again, if this sounds like boasting it is: it is boasting about everything the Oxford Mail is able to help accomplish with the help of you, our readers, and we hope to be able to keep doing for years to come.

If you would like to help us in this mission, please vote for us in the Local Newspaper Week Making a Difference awards online at localnewspaperweek.co.uk

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